Rimer B, Glassman B
Health Educ Q. 1984 Fall;11(3):313-21. doi: 10.1177/109019818401100307.
The authors tested an empirical definition of comprehension and investigated the relationship between comprehension, retention, attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral change in response to a persuasive health message. The study used a randomized post-tests only design with one experimental and one control group. A booklet about exercise was given to experimental group participants in their homes. They were interviewed immediately after reading the booklet and one month later. Control group participants were interviewed at both times without exposure to the booklet. The authors found that participants who were able to operationalize key concepts related to the exercise message were the most likely group to have performed the recommended behavior according to self-reports. Measures of recognition and recall were not significantly related to behavior, but measures of psychological-operational meaning (defined as the learner's ability to use the information and relate it to his/her own life) were related significantly to self-reported behavior. The authors also examined the relationship of comprehension to other variables, such as attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. The study's results support the hypothesis that comprehension is a necessary but not sufficient precursor of behavior. Implications for both program design and measurement are discussed.
作者测试了一种关于理解的实证定义，并研究了在面对具有说服力的健康信息时，理解、记忆、态度、信念和行为改变之间的关系。该研究采用了仅后测的随机设计，设有一个实验组和一个对照组。向实验组参与者家中发放了一本关于运动的小册子。他们在读完小册子后立即接受访谈，并在一个月后再次接受访谈。对照组参与者在两个时间点都接受访谈，但未接触小册子。作者发现，根据自我报告，能够将与运动信息相关的关键概念付诸实践的参与者最有可能执行推荐的行为。识别和回忆的测量与行为没有显著相关性，但心理操作意义的测量（定义为学习者使用信息并将其与自己生活联系起来的能力）与自我报告的行为显著相关。作者还研究了理解与其他变量（如态度、信念和行为）之间的关系。该研究结果支持了这样一种假设，即理解是行为的必要但不充分的前提条件。文中讨论了对项目设计和测量的启示。
